Editing Storage (section)

=== Vendor NAS ===
The current most popular vendor in this category is probably Synology, but other popular vendors include [[QNAP]], [[ReadyNAS]], etc. One of the main reasons for using this method (assuming you have the budget), is [[Keep It Simple Stupid|KISS]]. NAS devices are generally very simple to setup and maintain, so minimal feeding and watering required.

Contrary to popular belief, it is actually possible to get started in the NAS market for a relatively low cost, depending on your requirements, and how much capacity you require.

[[File:ds415plus.jpg|250px|border|right]]The key benefits to using a vendor NAS include:
* Typically very quick and easy to setup. Plug in the drives, run a wizard, and you can tart presenting NFS shares or iSCSI LUNs within a few minutes.
* Easy to support as any major issues can be escalated to the manufacturer
* Generally very stable, meaning that you spend more time working in your lab than fixing storage issues

The main drawbacks to vendor based NAS can be:
* Cost, they are not the cheapest devices on the planet, especially compared to local storage where you have bought the drives anyway!
* Limited quantity of drive bays. Most NAS devices are 2-5 bays max. The more bays you want, the more the price will go up too!
* Most vendor NAS boxes are single controller, and as such you will typically need to take down all of your lab VMs every time you need to do a software or firmware update of your vendor box. Many vendors release patches on a monthly basis, so you can choose to either take down your lab regularly, or run with known security holes for periods.